The Manchester United and England legend has learned from his mistakes, tested himself as a manager and pundit and is spending his 40th birthday doing something perhaps unexpected.
Most people would expect Wayne Rooney to celebrate a memorable birthday overnight. That’s because no athlete has achieved more fame than Rooney.
Just last month, the England and Manchester United legend opened up about his alcoholism and admitted he might have died without the help and support of his wife Coleen. But people change. People grow. People learn from their mistakes. Some people have lived most of their lives in the public eye.
So the same people who are still waiting for Rooney’s next mistake or bad decision to hit the headlines will be surprised to learn that one of England’s greatest ever footballers will celebrate his 40th birthday while working in Dubai. Rooney has taken his family to the UAE, where he holds coaching clinics with star players.
read more: “My opinion of Wayne Rooney has changed significantly after the nasty argument at Manchester United.”read more: The heartbreaking reason Wayne Rooney was banned from watching son Kai’s football matches
Was it really 24 years ago that Rooney made his name in English football by scoring a stunning goal for Everton against Arsenal at Goodison Park? He was 16 years old and life seemed sweet.
Especially when he joined United and established himself as the greatest player of his generation. The teenage tears of Croxteth, who became a global superstar.
His magical moments were relentless and amazing. He scared defenders to death. He used his power to bring down teams and became a talisman for both club and country.
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Rooney became England and United’s all-time leading scorer. And he remains England’s most capped outfielder. But with all the brilliance, there were also some bad choices.
He went from sweet to sour in the blink of an eye, making headlines on the front page as well as the back. For ten years he was one of the most famous and infamous soccer players on the planet.
After retiring, he ventured into management and is currently building a successful career as a commentator. He has his own BBC podcast and is an integral part of the Match of the Day team. His views are engaging and intelligent, born out of a playing career where his football mind worked faster than most of his opponents.
His long-time agent Paul Stretford has been on a rollercoaster ride from the beginning. Stratford believes Rooney remains underrated, but is proud of the progress he has made.
“Look back to that day when he signed his first major professional contract with Everton and was introduced to the world and the media. And look at the person standing there now. He knows his place in the world and is confident about what that place is.”
“Years ago, I don’t think we really thought about the possibility of something like that happening. He’s faced his demons, he’s faced challenges, but every step of the way, every time they’ve presented themselves, he’s been able to face them to the best of his ability, deal with them, and come out the other side.”
“I think he’s been underrated throughout his career, but that’s due to the misfortune of being on both the front page and the back page of newspapers. That definitely shaped opinions in the formative stages and to this day.
“Colleen has meant a lot to Wayne and his family and now they can spend more time together and enjoy that side of their lives.
“I say he ended up in a very good place at 40, but a lot of us who turn 40 think, ‘Oh, my youth is over, it’s all downhill from here.’
“Do you know what he’s going to do for his birthday? He’s going to be coaching kids in Dubai.
“The great thing is he gets to coach Colleen and the kids for half the term, but what he does is he puts on his boots and coaches the kids on the grass, which he loves the most.”
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